


I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll Never Die.

by Sappydappy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Gen, Leon gets a little bit of anxiety. as a treat., My Characters Now, POV Second Person, not beta read we die like men, selectively mute gloria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24746983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sappydappy/pseuds/Sappydappy
Summary: Gloria's a little different from most other people.a series of interconnecting moments at the start of a new story.
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Hop, Dande | Leon & Yuuri | Gloria, Hop & Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll Never Die.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wishfulFeline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishfulFeline/gifts).



“Hello, hello, Wedgehurst! Your champion has returned!”

It’s early spring, just at the cusp of the new gym challenge tournament. You managed to get away  _ because  _ it’s the start of the new season -- you’re able to get away with a considerably great deal more when the chairman is busy dealing with the gym modifications and the leaders of the gyms -- still, you’ve only got a week before you have to be back for the opening ceremonies, so you have to make this count. 

“I promise I’ll keep doing my best to deliver the greatest battles for you to watch!!”

It’s easy to please the crowds of your hometown. Wedgehurst is -- well, not your  _ hometown,  _ not really -- but Postwick is too small to really be considered a town, and Wedgehurst saw so much of you growing up that they consider you one of their own. You smile and give your rehearsed lines with relative ease -- encouragements, and challenges, and the like of all that. It’s easy to give people exactly what they want to hear, and you love to be the one to be able to encourage others to follow their dreams.

Still. Being in constant  _ on  _ mode has been wearing you down. You miss your room, and your bed, and you miss your little brother. It feels like it’s been forever since you came home. Probably not since the holidays? Wait, no -- you were in Alola at their newly established Battle Tree over the holiday, for a special tournament that the Chairman wouldn’t have allowed you to miss -- must have been over the last summer.

“Lee!”

You feel a surge of relief at the sight of your little brother, almost lost in the crowds. Most of them seem to step to the side when they notice you coming forward to greet Hop, and you give a silent thanks to your eager little brother. Placing a hand against his head, and giving his hair a ruffle -- much to his delightful protests and laughter -- you beam.

“Hop!” you say, your hand sliding down to his shoulder to give a squeeze. “So my number one fan in all the world has come out of his way to pick me up!”

Your little brother beams, and it’s then that you notice the girl standing next to him, but just enough off to the side that you had assumed she was part of the original crowd. Your brain clicks, and you smile at her. 

“And these bright eyes over here -- you must be Gloria,” you say, approaching her. “Am I right? I’ve heard all about you from Hop.”

Gloria smiles, head drooping down just slightly, but she doesn’t say anything at all. It’s a little strange, but -- maybe she’s shy? You press on a little bit, undeterred.

“I’m the Galar region’s greatest ever Pokemon champion, and a massive Charizard fan to boot… people call me the unbeatable Leon!” you add, the little joke tacked on the end to hopefully make her laugh. You offer your hand, and she takes it to give a small shake, but you can’t help but notice that she pulls it back a little too soon. Gloria looks back up to you and smiles, but otherwise says nothing -- not even a chuckle -- and your eyebrows crinkle in concern, but Hop bounces back into view with a gushing enthusiasm that not even you can top.

“Come on, Lee! And you too, Glorie -- I bet I can beat the both of you home!!”

You laugh again, feeling much more at ease than you had been on the train, and accept the challenge.

It’s not really much of a challenge, though. Hop walks down the route easy, and you have the sneaking suspicion that he made it a “race” simply to get you out of that crowd of fans, which you can’t help but be grateful for. 

Hop beams at you the same way he always does, and it lifts your heart to see how he’s hardly changed since the last time you came home. He’s a breath of fresh air, so welcome a change after the hustle and bustle of Wyndon, what with exhibition match after exhibition match, and with the Chairman’s constant pushes for you to give more and more of yourself to the world. 

You feel better than you have in ages, really. Hop is like noodle soup for the soul.

Gloria, however, looks at you with a hard gaze and says nothing as Hop talks your ear off the entire way, her mouth pressed into a thin line that betrays nothing to her expression. You feel your throat tighten up a little bit as the three of you walk, though you aren’t exactly sure why -- you can’t have messed up already. You’ve only been here for a little while! There’s no way you could have possibly made her uncomfortable or upset, especially since you’ve been rehearsing your lines the entire train ride here. You’re the perfect image of an older brother, a good son, a role model, and (arguably) a hero; what could you have possibly done to mess that all up already? 

But, you think, which is probably one of your biggest flaws. You always  _ think  _ too much -- it’s something the Chairman teases you about.  _ Postwick boy with too many feelings inside his chest, cares too much, fills his head with too many thoughts… _

You can’t help it, though! There’s just one thing. It keeps bothering you. You take a glance towards the brunette that’s patiently walking on the other side of Hop. 

You’ve heard a  _ lot  _ about Gloria from your baby brother. Every letter he’s sent for the last eight years has always been peppered with details on who, exactly, Gloria is. How quick witted she is; how she can make Hop squirt milk out of his nose with a well timed joke out of the blue; how she has a strong sense of justice and isn’t afraid of anybody, not even the bully in their class that picked on both of them when they were ten. You’ve heard from letter over letter about how she’s eager to get out there and explore the world, how she’s talked about nothing else since the two of them had turned fourteen -- the standard age for kids to obtain their first Pokémon in Galar -- and set out to explore what the island has to offer to them. 

Thing is… she hasn’t said a word. Not even when the two of them picked you up from the station. Not a single syllable. 

It’s strange, and already you’ve self conscious -- did you already do something wrong, you wonder? Maybe she’s read rumors surrounding your tenure as the unbeatable champion of Galar. Maybe she isn’t a fan of yours? There are plenty of people that are rooting for you to lose -- you wouldn’t be surprised if she was a fan of Raihan, or even Nessa. You know they’ve got a lot of fans -- as they should!! But -- you feel nervousness and anxiousness crawling up your neck as you three continue to walk the short distance towards home, past the rolling greens of the route towards Postwick. You try to pay attention to what Hop says, but it’s hard when your thought bubbles keep expanding, trying to figure out exactly what all of this means.

_ maybe _ , the deepest pits your heart tells you,  _ maybe Hop has told her things about you. Maybe Hop has been harboring resentment towards you — maybe he secretly hates you? _

Honestly… it wouldn’t surprise you. There’s not a lot, frankly, you’ve been able to do for Hop. After all, most of your time has been spent being the champion -- who would blame your younger brother for secretly being upset with how  _ little  _ time you’re able to spend with him? With your whole family? You know your parents are proud of you, but what about Hop? What if Hop -- what if he … 

Your thoughts start to spiral, because  _ of course  _ they do, but they’re broken up by the sound of laughter. You snap your head towards your little brother, seemingly laughing at nothing. You quirk your head to the side, and then you spot it. 

Gloria is moving her hands. Not at you, and not in any sort of gestures that you can recognize. You can’t help but raise your eyebrows at her motions, and Hop again laughs in response to whatever she’s doing, which only serves to confuse you more.

“Haha! Yeah, that’s true! You’re right, as usual, Glorie!”

You blink, before blinking again. Without thinking, your mouth opens to address your little brother.

“Hop?”

“Huh? Oh! Right --” Hop says, cheeks growing ruddy as he turns back to you with a sheepish smile. “I guess I forgot to tell you! But Glory doesn’t talk. I mean,” he adds with a wince as Gloria pinches his arm, “I mean, she  _ can _ talk. But she doesn’t like to. She uses sign! I’ve been learning since -- uh, since she moved here with her family when we were six, and I’m no good at actually signing --  _ yipes, Gloria, stop pinching me!  _ \-- but I’m good at reading what she says!” 

Oh.

Well… that information provides a lot of context for the last fifteen minutes of her silence, you suppose. It fills you with such a sense of relief that you can’t help but feel a little guilty for -- well, you know. Feeling like you did something wrong even though you’ve never met the girl before. Hop continues to jabber, and you’re content to lapse into a comfortable silence, watching him speak with his best friend -- who’s paying quite a bit of attention, and is earnest in whatever she’s saying with her hands. 

Gloria catches your eye, but she doesn’t smile, even when you smile back.

You don’t know how to feel about that.

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


“Take a good look, you two!”

With that, you dig into your pocket and pull out three Pokeballs, tossing them into the air and allowing the Pokemon inside to take form. You made sure to choose the best of the best -- after all, you’re the one who bred these little guys specifically for this task in mind -- and give your best Champion smile as the three Pokemon settle in the grass, in the tree, and in the lake.

Scorbunny, Grookie, and Sobble. Three carefully curated starters, just Hop, and Hop’s friend. Hop’s whole body seems to vibrate in excitement, which makes your heart leap into your throat in joy --  _ he’s happy, baby brother’s happy, that’s good, he deserves to be happy  _ \-- but what really surprises you is how Gloria reacts. She still hasn’t really given even more than a passing glance your way, but -- wow! The way her eyes light up makes the smile on your face all the more genuine. Feeling a renewed sense of -- something, maybe relief, maybe something more -- you turn your head towards your little babies.

“All right,” you say to the Pokemon, who look up to you in curiosity. “Line up, everyone!”

The Pokemon eagerly clamber into some sort of lopsided line, and you laugh, looking towards your little brother and your little brother’s friend. Gloria’s hands are shaking at her sides, but she looks enthralled. It’s dawning on the two of them just exactly what you have planned, and that makes you all the more eager to get the show going. You approach gingerly, reaching out to place a hand on Gloria’s shoulder. Her head jerks up, eyes wide and mouth pressed together, eyebrows raised in surprise. Hop is nearly jumping out of his shoes, but he knows how to be patient.

“Which one will you choose?”

Immediately, she turns to Hop, hands flashing, but he laughs and waves a palm at her.   
  
“Go on, you pick first -- I’ve already got Noel,” he encourages -- the Wooloo you caught for him when he was five. Your smile can’t seem to get any wider, and Gloria steps forward as you step back, immediately beelining for the line of creatures just waiting for a home.

She doesn’t take much time to decide. You’re kind of surprised as she reaches out for the Sobble -- kneeling down to the Pokemon with almost no hesitation, offering a palm up for the little sad lizard to examine. The Sobble sniffs tentatively at it, before looking up and beaming at his new trainer. Gloria’s hands reach to cradle the Pokemon to her chest -- and you’re about to offer the ball to her before she bows her head, arms hugging the Pokemon gently. With one hand pulling away, she signs slowly -- laboriously, almost. 

Hop doesn’t need to tell you what she’s saying. You smile, and tilt your snapback up.

“You’re welcome. Have a champion time, Gloria.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

You’re surprised at how  _ good  _ Gloria is at battling. 

You hadn’t expected much from her and Hop’s first battle -- yours and Sonia’s battle hadn’t been much to sneeze at, after all -- but the way she moves in sync with her Sobble surprises you. It seems like the little guy doesn’t even need to hear her commands in order to attack, dodge and defend -- that’s something that’s hard to master as a veteran trainer, much less a newcomer! 

She wins the battle, though Hop does put up a good fight, and you feel pride surging in your veins as the two of them converse, going over the super effective moves, and what they’ll do the next time they battle, and how cool it had been to battle for real!

...granted, you can only really understand half the conversation, but you can do enough to fill in the blanks.

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Gloria, you find out the next day, has not one, not two, but  _ five  _ older brothers.

The only reason you know is because all five of them pile into mum’s backyard that night to celebrate Hop and Gloria’s entrance into the gym tournament with your endorsement. You hadn’t expected to endorse them right away -- you were thinking maybe next season they would be ready -- but the potential both of them have shown is enough to make you put them on the fast track. 

What  _ really  _ surprises you is how loud they all are. Her brothers are boisterous and energetic, and you have no doubt that they’ve been filling the sleepy little town of Postwick with a lot of life. They’re completely different from their baby sister, and you can’t help but wonder if that’s why she was drawn to Hop -- he’s essentially an only child, after all. 

“So, would you say that Raihan is the strongest after you? I’ve heard that he’s the second best, but is there anyone that you’ve fought that was even close to his strength?”

“I went to the world coronation series where you battled Lance -- that last move you used was really incredible! It’s crazy how you didn’t have the type advantage but you still managed to come out on top!”

“Your Charizard -- is it really true that he’s undefeated? Even when you started out?”

You can’t help but feel immediately overwhelmed; you can only talk so much about the battles and the gym leaders and the traveling you’ve done before you’re quickly drained. This is supposed to be a vacation  _ away _ from the stress of Wyndon, not something that excallibrates the stress of it. Still, you can’t disappoint fans -- so you flash a smile and jerk your head.

“Hey, I gotta go inside to check on my bedroom for a quick second. Be right back!”

You leave with the promise in your head that you’ll only be gone for just a bit -- just a couple minutes -- and as you gently click the door shut, walking upstairs into your room, you can hear Hop’s voice from across the hall. That catches your attention -- you didn’t even notice he wasn’t outside -- but you pause. You don't dare look to peek into his room, but his voice is as clear as it ever was.

“Yeah, I know it’s a lot, Glorie. But! It’s okay! You get to leave home soon,” there’s a pause, before he continues, voice honey coated and soothing, like the way your mum used to talk to him as a kid when he cried so hard he couldn’t speak, “Your mum even got you a tent! You don’t have to go home unless you really super want to,” another pause. “I know you won’t super want to, Glorie. It was a joke. Hey… it’s okay. I’ll be with you the whole way. We’ll take care of each other, yeah? And you got Squeaker with you. So don’t you worry. Nobody gets to tell us what to do. You don't have to worry about people telling you to talk ever again."

Another pause, and then a laugh. “I’m sure Lee knows how you feel. I told you, he won’t mind any that you don’t talk. It shouldn’t bother anybody, but Lee understands. I’m sure of it!”

You feel a lump in your throat, and quietly slip back downstairs, back to the eagerness of Gloria’s brothers, and put on your Champion face.

Maybe you understand Gloria just a little better now.

Maybe that's enough, for now.

**Author's Note:**

> please be gentle i haven't written any solid fanfiction in about a year and a half.


End file.
